Jack White’s Ex-Wife Karen Elson Files Restraining Order Against Him

UPDATE (August 2, 3:03 p.m. ET):Leaked emails between Jack White and Karen Elson have revealed that the blues-rocker is not a fan of Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, who White claims has ripped off his work. Among Elson’s charges when filing the restraining order is that White demanded she remove their two children from a school class shared with the daughter of the Black Keys singer (both artists are currently Nashville residents):

“My concern with Auerbach is because I don’t want the kids involved in any of that crap,” reads the email from White to Elson. “You aren’t thinking ahead. That’s a possible twelve f—ing years I’m going to have to be sitting in kids chairs next to that a-hole with other people trying to lump us in together. He gets yet another free reign to follow me around and copy me and push himself into my world.”

The estranged couple have an August 29 court date to resolve an ongoing custody battle over their kids.

(Original story): When rocker Jack White and his model/singer-songwriter wife Karen Elson broke up in 2011, it was so amicable that the couple threw a “divorce party,” asking friends and family to help celebrate their split “with a positive swing bang hum dinger.”

The situation has taken a far less agreeable turn, with Nashville’s City Paper reporting that a judge has granted Elson a restraining order against White over a litany of accusations amidst a bitter custody battle over the couple’s two children.

According to the restraining order issued on July 22, Jack White has been harassing his ex-wife and her lawyer “in an inappropriate and aggressive manner,” including threatening phone calls and emails.

Among the allegations are that White wanted Elson to have their children removed from a particular class shared with the child of an entertainer he believes “ripped off his music.” He was allegedly also upset with her for attending the wedding of another musician he feels has stolen his musical ideas, with the order making mention of the former White Stripes frontman’s supposedly violent temper.

“This pattern of husband’s bullying wife into submission was a contributing factor in the demise of their marriage,” reads the restraining order, which forbids the musician from having “any contact with wife whatsoever except as it relates to parenting time with the parties’ minor children.”

Elson claims that White has repeatedly refused to attend family counseling, and that he’s not fit to be a parent, despite his desire to help raise their children.

Jack White famously ran afoul of the law back in 2003 for brawling with singer Jason Stollsteimer, then of the band Von Bondies at a Detroit nightclub. Charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault, he would go on to plead guilty to assault and battery, resulting in a fine and anger management classes.

Scott T. Sterling

Scott T. Sterling
Scott is the rock associate producer for Radio.com. He has previously worked at URB, The Daily Swarm and L.A. Times, where he covered nightlife and music. The Detroit native currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, where he is a...